Steam-engine governor



(N6 NndeLjY B, HUBER. STEAM ENGINE GOVERNOR. v No. 394,573. Patented Dec. 18, 1888.

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.W WW M UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDIVARD HUBER, OF MARION, OHIO.

STEAM-ENGINE GOVERNOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 394,573, dated December 18, 1888.

Application filed March 3, 1888. Serial No. 266,021. (No modeh) To a/ZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD HUBER, of Marion, in the county of Marion and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Engine Governors; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in steam-engine governors of a type in which centrifugal force, gravity, and spring action are utilized to actuate a valve toward or from its seat, and thus regulate the passage of steam through the valve and into the steamchest of an engine to render the motion of the latter regular or of equal speed under varying conditions with regard to the duty imposed upon and performed by the engine.

The object of my improvement is to produce a compact, simple, and remarkably sensitive governor that will quickly and reliably correct perceptible variations of speed in the engine to which it is attached.

Vith this object in view my invention consists in the construction of parts and their combinations, as will be specifically described, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a vertical section through a central line with parts in elevation. Fig. 2 is a side elevation with a portion of the supporting-bracket of the governor broken away to expose interior parts;

and Fig. 3 represents a side elevation of the governor with the drivingpulley removed from the position shown in Figs. l and 2, bevel gear-Wheels being introduced to permit the governor to be more readily operated in a vertical position.

I is a bracket that affords support to the governor mechanism. It is preferably made with two Walls, l 2, located oppositely and fastened to or made integral with a flange, I',

that is designed to be utilized as a base for the governor if it is given an upright position, or to attach the governor to the vertical wall of a steam-chest or the ange of avalve-body, as the situation may require, this governor being adapted to operate in a vertical or horizontal plane and preferably in the latter-named position. The Walls l 2 of the bracket I are bent to give them an easy curvature toward each other and unite them to produce a cylindrical portion, I2, which terminates in a square olt'set or shoulder at n, (see Fig. l,) and from this point the cylindrical body of the bracket l is continued in an axial line to form a cylindrical or tubular wall, I3, which terminates at o with an open end.

Vithin the tubular portion I3 of theI bracket I a cylindrical tube, I-I, is inserted. This is of such relative diametrical size to the piece I3 that it can slide freely therein without improper looseness, it being designed to be employed as a spring case. Each end of the spring-case H is partially closed, a perforation for the reception of a valve-rod, G, being centrally produced in each end wall of the same. lYpon the outer surface of the springcase II, of a size to slide freely thereon, the Hauged pulley F, with its tubular extension or shell l-l. is mounted. 'lhehub r of the pulley F has its projecting end in running contact with the shoulder a on the portion I2 of bracket I, and the tubular shell B terminates at its outer end in line with the end of the tubular extension Ig of the bracket I. (See Fig. l.)

The pulley F is provided with the flanges 3 et, which serve to prevent accidental displacement of the belt that is placed thereon to give rotative motion to the governor.

At opposite points on the shell I3, near its outer end, two ears, c c, are formed on each side, that have parallel sides to adapt them to receive upon their outer faces the corresponding ears, l) b, of the preferably bifurcated arms A', which latter are caused to embrace the two equal-sized balls A and be preferably pivotally secured to them by diametrically-inserted pins g', that enter holes made through the center of the rounded ends g of these bifurcated arms and the centers of the balls A.

Upon the outside of the shell B, from which the ears c c project, and above these ears a sliding thimble, E, is placed, which is perforated vertically through the center of its upper surface at u to permit the insertion through it of the valve-actuating rod G. On each side of the thilnble E two arms, B B', are formed or attached, which project above the balls A A. These arms have slotted ends la', that are pivotally attached or jointedV to the upper IOO ends of the bars J J, which arepreferably rigidly secured to the upper surface of the balls A A, but may be jointed to these balls, as shown at 13 in Fig. 3, and operate efliciently.

The valve-actuating rod G extends through the hole vw in the thimble Eva sufficient distance to allow the :flanged block e to be secured upon it by a pin, e', or other suitable means, this block having a bearing upon the adjacent top surface of the thimble E, as shown in Fig. 1.

An oifset shoulder is provided on the top edge of the thimble E by cutting away the material, and upon this reduced portion of the thimble a hemispherical cap, E', is located by adjusting it to rest on the shoulder as a seat. The height of this cap E is sufficient to allow the rod G and block c to move vertically a proper distance to adjust the steam-regulating valve, which is attached to or connected with the opposite end of this rod.

Vithin the spring-case II a spiral spring, S, is placed, which has such relative diameter of its coils as to be permitted to move freelythat is, to expand and contract.

The spring S encircles the rod G and rests against the upper end, s', of the spring-case H, -it-s other end having forcible contact with the collar s, that is mounted upon and-secured to the valve-rod G such a relative distance from the upper end, s', of the case H as to compress the spring S properly when the case is adjusted by devices that will now be de` scribed.

The lower end of the spring-case H is made solid and of a proper length to permit a concentric groove, q, to be cut in it at such a distance from the extremity as to produce two collars, a a. (See Fig. 2.) Two projecting bracket-lugs, m m, that are formed on the walls 1 2 of the bracket I, are perforated to give support to a shaft, O, on which the bellcrank R is aflixed, so as to allow its horizontal limb n to lie .in the groove q, while the vertical limb n of the bell-crank is downwardly projected to permit the end h of the adjustingscrew h'to have contact with it, so that when this screw is turned by the handle 71.2 the spring-case II may be elevated or depressed, as may be required.

The screw h is supported in a threaded boss, lL', which projects inwardly from one of the walls of the bracket I; and it should be stated that it is important that the spring S be somewhat compressed between the end s of the case H and the collar s of the rod G, so as to press on the case with sufficient force to hold the valve-rod G depressed and the valve opened when the governor has its balls in contact with the sides of the shell 13.

The shaft O, on which the bell-crank R is supported, is extended, as shown in Fig. 1, and on its free end a lever, P, is secured, that projects at right angles to it, and to which -maybe attached a rod or other means foroperating the bell-crank, so as to depress its horizontal arm yn andcontrol the position `of the attached valve from a point removed from the engine, as may be needed in certain situations.

The arm P is made adjustable by a setscrew, w, so that it may be given any position best suited for its movement to operate the valve.

It is necessary, in order to effcctually utilize the governor, that a valve should be attached to the Alower end of the rod G, which will be actuated by this rod when it is moved endwise. Many different styles of valves, either puppet or slide valves, can be used in such a connection with the governor-rod G directly or indirectly to regulate steam passing through said valve and to so control the action of an engine. I do not therefore restrict the use of the governor to any particular kind of a valve, but have shown it as attached to an ordinary globe-valve merely to illustrate the operation of the device.

In Fig. 1, -V represents the shell or'case of the4 valve, and n the valve proper, that is connected to the rod G of the governor, so as to be held from its seat by the pressure of the spring S, this pressure being graduated by an adjustment of the screw h, as has been previously mentioned.

In order to adapt thegovernor for operation, a belt-connection is made between the pulley F and some moving part of the engine to which'the governor is attached-preferably a pulley on the crankshaft of the engine- Whichwill rotate the governor at a proper speed to spread the balls A A by centrifugal force. In operation the rotation of the shell Band attached balls A A will cause them to diverge and elevate the thimble E in consethe valve fu toward its seat fr', and thus re-A strict the ow of steam by reducing the area of the passage through the valve.

Owing to the peculiar construction of the `connecting-arms A A J J and their combination and arrangement with the balls A A, shell B, thimble E, and valve-rod G, the latter is adjusted with great precision toward or from the valve-seat fu', responding instantly to any slight variations of speed of the engine .to control and regulate it.

WVhen the governor is given a vertical position on an engine, the pulley F, which has been described as attached to the lower end of the tubular shell B to operate the governor horizontally, will be dispensed with and the bevel gear-wheels 10 11 substituted for it, which are relatively secured to the shell B and upper end lof the bracket-stand I, the wheel 12 bein g adapted to revolve with a shaft which is supported on the bracket-stand, so as to be rotated by the pulley 12. (See Fig. 4.)

Slight changes might be made inthe con v struction of this device without a departure roo IIO

from the spirit of my invention; hence I do not Wish to limit myself to the exact forms herein shown; but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a steam-engine governor, the combination, With a main support and a shell revolubly mounted thereon, of an adjustable spring-box located Within the support, a valvestein extending loosely through this box and carrying a valve, a spring in the box impinging, at one end upon the spring-box and at the other upon the valve-stem, a bell-crank lever pivoted in such position that one end is in engagement with the spring-box, a screw for changing the position of this bell-crank, and Weights loosely connected to the shell and valve-stern, substantially as set forth.

2. In a steam-engine governor, the combination, with a main support, a shell revolubly mounted thereon, an adjustable spring-box located Within the main support, and a valvesteln having' a valve thereon extending through this box, ot' a bell crank lever one end of which is in Contact with the springbox, and a screw impinging` upon one end of the bell-crank for regulating the position of this bell-crank, substantially as set forth.

3. In a steam-engine governor, the combination, with a bracket-stand and an adjustin g-screw provided with a projecting end that has contact with one limb of a bell-crank lever, of a bell-crank lever, a supportin@shaft for this lever, and a springl case which is grooved to engage the horizont-al limb of the bell-crank lever, substantially as set forth.

4. In a steam-engine governor, the combination, with a bracket-stand, an adj Listingscrew, a rock-shaft, a bell-crank, and an arm that is made adjustable on the rock-shaft, ot' a spring-ease which is grooved to engage the horizontal arm ot' the bell-crank, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereot- I have signed this speciiication in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

EDVARD HUBER.

\Vit11esses:

J. E. DAviDs, IRA UHLER. 

